He is better than what the O's had in the 5 slot, but I don't think he's any better than any of our top 6 (including Aceves).

Sox4ever

Scott Feldman has been valued at 9.2 WAR* in 219 MLB games covering 818.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of 1.3, 0.3, 2.4 and 1.1 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

The slightly older Alfredo Aceves has been valued at 2.8 WAR in 192 MLB games covering 359.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of a negative0.1, 1.1, 0.5 and a negative0.4 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

I rather doubt the Orioles would trade the upside of Jake Arrieta for Aceves and the baggage he carries.

He is better than what the O's had in the 5 slot, but I don't think he's any better than any of our top 6 (including Aceves).

Sox4ever

Scott Feldman has been valued at 9.2 WAR* in 219 MLB games covering 818.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of 1.3, 0.3, 2.4 and 1.1 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

The slightly older Alfredo Aceves has been valued at 2.8 WAR in 192 MLB games covering 359.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of a negative0.1, 1.1, 0.5 and a negative0.4 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

I rather doubt the Orioles would trade the upside of Jake Arrieta for Aceves and the baggage he carries.

* Wins Above Replacement as reported at FanGraphs

I never meant to imply that, hill. I just said that I do not see Feldman as being any better than Aceves right now for the Sox. It's close.

Aceves is our 6th starter, while Feldman may end up being the O's #2 or 3 man.

I was trying to answer the posters who think Ben needs to make a deal for a guy like Feldman. If we do trade for a SP, I hope it's not someone only as good as our 5 or 6th starter.

BTW, The WAR for Aceves is mostly as a reliever. We all know how WAR is not friendly to set-up men. Comparing a WAR of a starter vs a WAR of a RP is not really fair.

In response to hill55's comment:In response to moonslav59's comment:
Just remember that the Cubs play in a league with no DH.

He had a 4.81 ERA in 8 years with the Rangers (5.09 in 2012).

He is better than what the O's had in the 5 slot, but I don't think he's any better than any of our top 6 (including Aceves).

Sox4ever

Scott Feldman has been valued at 9.2 WAR* in 219 MLB games covering 818.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of 1.3, 0.3, 2.4 and 1.1 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

The slightly older Alfredo Aceves has been valued at 2.8 WAR in 192 MLB games covering 359.2 innings, including seasonal WAR of a negative0.1, 1.1, 0.5 and a negative0.4 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so far in 2013.

I rather doubt the Orioles would trade the upside of Jake Arrieta for Aceves and the baggage he carries.

* Wins Above Replacement as reported at FanGraphs

I never meant to imply that, hill. I just said that I do not see Feldman as being any better than Aceves right now for the Sox. It's close.

Aceves is our 6th starter, while Feldman may end up being the O's #2 or 3 man.

I was trying to answer the posters who think Ben needs to make a deal for a guy like Feldman. If we do trade for a SP, I hope it's not someone only as good as our 5 or 6th starter.

BTW, The WAR for Aceves is mostly as a reliever. We all know how WAR is not friendly to set-up men. Comparing a WAR of a starter vs a WAR of a RP is not really fair.

I provided total career innings because the innings disparity between starters and relievers impacts WAR.

Super overpay on this, unless it works out really good. Take the contract, probably not even most, and give A middling to maybe almost high prospect for a guy with a bad AL history. Balt is going for the PS. I expect to see a few more sorties by them soon. All the power to them. Whether they knock the Sox out by selling off the farm or not, HONESTLY, does not matter to me. Whatever happens to the Sox, if they don't sell the farm, the future is BRIGHT, and I could really care less about this year (outside of I don't want my sports dead time to start earlier), as long as they keep the future powerhuse developing.

The Orioles want to win and have a lot of talent offensively, a healthy Brian Roberts makes them that much more dangerous. hopefully Ben wants to win just as bad and doen't stand pat at the deadline even though the Sox being in first place at this point was probably never a thought

Another quality SP and reliever is needed on this team despite our current record. Pitching is something you can never have enough of and it certainly wins big games more often than not.

If Buch is healthy it comes down to is Feldman going to be more effective than Doubie, Aceves and Webster? I like Webster getting his feet wet now, and think in the coming months he will be very effective. He is maintaining velo and has a great ratio of swing and misses...just a matter of location/control...which will come with experience and calming of the nerves.

It seems the Cubs are in sell now mode...wonder if Theo and Jed see any value in trying to straighten out Bard for 2014? Does Bard and Morales return Garza for a one half year rental?

I dont see the RS rushing Xander. I also see Middlebrooks as insurance against left side of the IF injury or if Iggy reverts back to form. I also see Middlebrooks as potential insurance against Napoli injury.

If Buch is healthy it comes down to is Feldman going to be more effective than Doubie, Aceves and Webster? I like Webster getting his feet wet now, and think in the coming months he will be very effective. He is maintaining velo and has a great ratio of swing and misses...just a matter of location/control...which will come with experience and calming of the nerves.

It seems the Cubs are in sell now mode...wonder if Theo and Jed see any value in trying to straighten out Bard for 2014? Does Bard and Morales return Garza for a one half year rental?

I would think that the Cubs could fetch more that the struggling 28-year-old Daniel Bard and the disabled 27-year-old Franklin Morales for established 29-year-old starter Matt Garza.

Garza may be in the final year of contract that pays him $10.25 million this year, but Morales remains under team control only through 2014 working off his 2013 salary of $1.4875 million while Bard remains under team control only through 2015 working off his 2013 salary of $1.8625 million.

The Cubs should find a better return for one of the best starting pitchers in the trade market.

I agree with moonslav the Sox don't need a Scott Feldman. A good reliever, probably. A really good starter, almost certainly too costly. A good righty bat at 3B? Maybe the Sox should get that guy Snyder, the one with the clutch double high off the CF wall last night against, wait for it, a lefty starter.

If Buch is healthy it comes down to is Feldman going to be more effective than Doubie, Aceves and Webster? I like Webster getting his feet wet now, and think in the coming months he will be very effective. He is maintaining velo and has a great ratio of swing and misses...just a matter of location/control...which will come with experience and calming of the nerves.

It seems the Cubs are in sell now mode...wonder if Theo and Jed see any value in trying to straighten out Bard for 2014? Does Bard and Morales return Garza for a one half year rental?

I would think that the Cubs could fetch more that the struggling 28-year-old Daniel Bard and the disabled 27-year-old Franklin Morales for established 29-year-old starter Matt Garza.

Garza may be in the final year of contract that pays him $10.25 million this year, but Morales remains under team control only through 2014 working off his 2013 salary of $1.4875 million while Bard remains under team control only through 2015 working off his 2013 salary of $1.8625 million.

The Cubs should find a better return for one of the best starting pitchers in the trade market.

Garza has a WAR of 11 in the years 09, 10, 11, 12, 13 covering 757 innings and 122 games, with almost half the value coming in most likely an outlier year 2011. He has been injury prone and unreliable. He would also most likely be available as part of a 5 man rotation to pitch 14-16 games before he hits free agency. Bard and Morales offer the Cubs 2 power arms under control for 2 more years allowing the Cubs to see if they can figure either of them out.

If Feldman with a WAR of 9.2 over a similar period returns Arrieta, I would think anything more than Bard and Morales, or a similar scenario, is an over pay

We can dream and smoke that pipe all we want but the Cubs are going to be asking for guys like:

Barnes

Owens

Webster

You will likely have to give up one of those guys + a lower level pitching prospect like Simon Mercedes or Cody Kukuk. You (like me) may have a man crush on those prospects but unfortunately that is what the price tag is likely to START with.

We can dream and smoke that pipe all we want but the Cubs are going to be asking for guys like:

Barnes

Owens

Webster

You will likely have to give up one of those guys + a lower level pitching prospect like Simon Mercedes or Cody Kukuk. You (like me) may have a man crush on those prospects but unfortunately that is what the price tag is likely to START with.

the Cubs can ask..but I have a hard time seeing one half year of Garza, who has been injury prone, and quite honestly not all that effective the past couple of years, returning this level of prospect.

Obviously you and Hill disagree with me..it will be interesting to see if a team over pays for Garza...I hope it is not the RS

Your almost always going to overpay at this time of the year. Its the nature of the beast. For that reason, and a few others, Id pass on Garza. Unless its a TOTR guy, then Id pass. If Buch returns, Lack keeps pitching the way he has and lester can improve enough to pitch like a good #2 or #3, then we should be fine. Feldman isnt even a consideration IMO.

Id concentrate more on the pen. Good thing weve been blessed with very good depth this year, both pitching and position players.